- A
Promote the cross-region read replica to a new primary and redirect application traffic.
Promoting a read replica is fast (minutes) and meets the 15-minute RTO. Data loss is limited to the replication lag (seconds/minutes).
- B
Change the cross-region replica to synchronous replication and enable automatic failover.
Why wrong: Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL does not support synchronous replication across regions; only async is available.
- C
Create a new instance from the latest backup in us-west1 and redirect traffic.
Why wrong: Restoring from backup can take hours for a large database, exceeding the 15-minute RTO.
- D
Increase automated backup frequency to every hour and ensure binary logging is enabled.
Why wrong: Frequent backups do not reduce failover time; they increase RPO but not RTO.
Quick Answer
The answer is to promote the cross-region read replica to a new primary and redirect application traffic. This is the correct action because promoting a read replica is the fastest failover method for Cloud SQL, bypassing the need for backup restoration or migration services; while asynchronous replication across regions means some data loss is inevitable, this approach meets the 15-minute downtime objective by avoiding the lengthy process of restoring from backups. On the Google Professional Cloud Database Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of disaster recovery trade-offs—specifically that cross-region replicas use asynchronous replication by design, so you must accept eventual consistency for speed, and a common trap is assuming synchronous replication is possible across regions (it is not for Cloud SQL PostgreSQL). To minimize data loss in this setup, you should set replication lag alerts and automate the promotion procedure. Memory tip: for cross-region DR, think “promote, don’t restore”—replicas are for speed, backups are for durability.
PCDE Plan and manage database infrastructure Practice Question
This PCDE practice question tests your understanding of plan and manage database infrastructure. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company runs a critical application on Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL with a primary instance in us-central1 and a cross-region read replica in us-west1 for disaster recovery. The database engineer is responsible for ensuring that in the event of a regional outage in us-central1, the application can continue with minimal data loss and within 15 minutes of downtime. The application writes about 1000 transactions per second. The current setup has automated backups enabled with point-in-time recovery (7-day retention) and the cross-region replica is configured with asynchronous replication. Which action should the database engineer take to meet the recovery objectives?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Promote the cross-region read replica to a new primary and redirect application traffic.
Option D is correct because using Database Migration Service (DMS) for continuous migration is not needed; instead, promoting the cross-region read replica is the fastest failover method. However, with asynchronous replication, some data loss may occur. To minimize data loss, they should set replication lag alerts and automate failover procedures. Option A is wrong because backup-based recovery takes longer than 15 minutes for 1TB. Option B is wrong because synchronous replication across regions is not supported in Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL. Option C is wrong because increasing backup frequency doesn't help with fast failover.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Promote the cross-region read replica to a new primary and redirect application traffic.
Why this is correct
Promoting a read replica is fast (minutes) and meets the 15-minute RTO. Data loss is limited to the replication lag (seconds/minutes).
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Change the cross-region replica to synchronous replication and enable automatic failover.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL does not support synchronous replication across regions; only async is available.
- ✗
Create a new instance from the latest backup in us-west1 and redirect traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Restoring from backup can take hours for a large database, exceeding the 15-minute RTO.
- ✗
Increase automated backup frequency to every hour and ensure binary logging is enabled.
Why it's wrong here
Frequent backups do not reduce failover time; they increase RPO but not RTO.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PCDE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCDE question test?
Plan and manage database infrastructure — This question tests Plan and manage database infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Promote the cross-region read replica to a new primary and redirect application traffic. — Option D is correct because using Database Migration Service (DMS) for continuous migration is not needed; instead, promoting the cross-region read replica is the fastest failover method. However, with asynchronous replication, some data loss may occur. To minimize data loss, they should set replication lag alerts and automate failover procedures. Option A is wrong because backup-based recovery takes longer than 15 minutes for 1TB. Option B is wrong because synchronous replication across regions is not supported in Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL. Option C is wrong because increasing backup frequency doesn't help with fast failover.
What should I do if I get this PCDE question wrong?
Identify which PCDE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on PCDE
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company runs a critical application on Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL. The database engineer needs to ensure that if the primary instance fails, a standby instance in a different region can take over with minimal data loss. Which configuration should the Database Engineer implement?
medium- A.Set up a second Cloud SQL instance and configure application-level dual-writes to both instances.
- B.Configure high availability (HA) within the same region using a regional persistent disk.
- ✓ C.Create a cross-region replica with asynchronous replication and manually promote it during a disaster.
- D.Create a cross-region replica with synchronous replication and enable automatic failover.
Why C: Option C is correct because Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL supports cross-region replicas with asynchronous replication, which allows a standby instance in a different region to be promoted manually during a disaster. This minimizes data loss by replicating changes asynchronously, though some transactions may be lost if the primary fails before replication completes. Automatic failover is not supported for cross-region replicas in Cloud SQL, so manual promotion is required.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This PCDE practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PCDE exam.
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